Cape York Partnerships (CYP) was initiated in 2000 as a means by which to facilitate the reduction in welfare dependency of Indigenous Queenslanders in the Cape York region. It is based on establishing partnerships to develop business activities which improve economic and social outcomes for Indigenous people of the area.

CYP is a community development organisation formed as a result of an agreement between the Queensland Government and regional Indigenous organisations. The approach of CYP is to develop community initiatives within the Cape York region, developing such opportunities through partnerships and garnering support for projects at a regional level to guarantee benefits and outcomes in the regional setting.

CYP works with communities to develop and implement projects which facilitate strong and vigorous families. In line with this, CYP has created a family development strategy which focuses on the central issues of family income management, substance abuse and family health, and education.

Detailed Information:

CYP states that its aim is to 'work with public and private agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive agenda to achieve the fundamental structural changes necessary to enable communities, clans, families, and individuals to move beyond passive welfare, to effect a social recovery and to actively participate in the economy.'
(Cape York Partnerships, 'Partners': http://www.capeyorkpartnerships.com/partners/index.htm (at 9 September 2005)).

To this end, CYP has developed partnerships with State and Commonwealth Governments, the private and philanthropic sectors, educational institutions and the corporate sector.

To date, CYP has project-managed a range of community development projects generating successful results. These include the Family Income Management Project, Computer Culture and the Boys from the Bush Project. These projects are jointly financed by a combination of State and Commonwealth Government, corporate and philanthropic funding. CYP has also participated in the development of the concept of Negotiation Tables as a novel way of interaction between government and the Cape York communities. It has also assisted local community justice groups to develop and implement Alcohol Management Plans as a means of dealing with alcohol abuse in communities. This has also been funded by State and Federal governments.

The Queensland Government committed itself in 1999 to develop partnerships in Cape York. In response to the issues raised by the Fitzgerald Cape York Justice Study in 2001, a partnership unit is being developed which will comprise CYP (Community) and CYP (Government). This will provide the capacity for a whole-of-government approach to co-ordination of services for Cape York and for the negotiation of partnerships between State agencies and Aboriginal people.

In addition, regional organisations in Cape York have been working with private and philanthropic organisations. To this end, a model for partnerships with these sectors has been established called Indigenous Enterprise Partnerships (IEP). The board of IEP comprises both voluntary directors from a range of private sector organisations and indigenous representatives.

The Commonwealth Government's participation in the Cape York Partnership process is conducted through its Indigenous Partnerships Taskforce which is presently being trialled across a range of sites in Australia. Cape York is included in the trial. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations is the Commonwealth's lead agency responsible for Cape York.

The CYP board of directors is composed of five Aboriginal leaders from the Cape York region. The Chair of the board and director of CYP is Noel Pearson. The Cape York Partnerships Program was developed as a result of ideas put forward in a draft discussion paper detailing the effects of welfare dependency on Cape York communities presented by Pearson in May 1999 (see Noel Pearson, Our Right to Take Responsibility (2000)).